A Postcard From... Cantabria Pt. 1
Heading into my second week on the Camino del Norte
Leaving Basque Country was an exciting moment - over a week into the Camino and I was feeling like into the swing of things. Packing my backpack was becoming quicker and easier, laundry wasn’t as much of a worry, and I had new friends to spend my time with. The Camino was just getting started but I already didn’t want it to end.
If you missed my first week on the Camino, read Basque Country Pt. 1 here and Basque Country Pt 2 here!
Camino Pt 2: Cantabria
98 miles | 2,856 meters (9,370 feet) of gain | 6 days
Pobeña - Castro Uridales - Laredo - Guemes - Santander - Santillana Del Mar - Comillas
Pobeña - Castro Uridales - 11 miles
We (Ana, Erik, and I) had an early start, as we planned a semi-rest day. We only had to hike 11 miles (which felt short after the past week) and looked forward to spending the rest of the day relaxing at the beach, avoiding the 80-degree weather. The day began beautifully, with us heading out just after sunrise. However, taking the quicker route to town meant a lot of road walking in the second half, but arriving into Castro Uridales early made it worth it. The town is a cute, small beach destination with gorgeous blue water, and I couldn’t want to jump in.
The albergue had only 16 beds, first-come-first-served starting at 3:00 PM (as always), but since we arrived by 10:30 AM, we left our backpacks outside to start the queue and headed off for breakfast. As much as I could have gone for a big ‘ol American diner breakfast - pancakes, hash browns, sausage and eggs - we settled for the classic Spanish option - tortilla and a pastry, which was delicious nonetheless. After breakfast, I changed into my swimsuit in the cafe’s bathroom and we were off to the beach (a mere walk across the street).
There are two things I love: beach naps and ocean swims, and I planned to spend the day doing both. We spent the next few hours napping, swimming, reading and even cliff jumping before heading back to the albergue to grab our spots in line as the doors opened.
Once we unpacked, set up our paper sheets on the beds, and showered, we set out to explore the rest of town, which we’d neglected earlier for the beach. We discovered a few cool coves, visited an old church, and stocked up on snacks and breakfast items at a grocery store. Since the albergue had only a mini-fridge and a single hot plate, it wasn’t ideal for cooking a big meal, but we managed to make a couple of bowls of overnight oats for the next morning.
At the albergue, we met a few new faces and greeted some familiar ones. Although we had talked about going to dinner with a group, most people, including Ana, had already bought snacks or had a late lunch. So Erik and I ended up wandering town into a pizza shop and eating dinner just the two of us. It was fun to sit and have a casual, non Spanish cuisine dinner after spending the day at the beach - I almost forgot we’d walked there that morning.
With lights out and doors closing at 9 PM, we made our way back just in time to avoid being locked out and went to bed. Although it was a rest day, after spending the entire day in the sun, I had no trouble falling asleep.
Castro Uridales - Laredo - 23 miles
Our overnight oats were a success, and I forgot how much I love oatmeal—perfect for a filling breakfast before a long day of walking. The albergue kicked everyone out by 8 AM, so we set off into a beautiful morning along the coast, passing through herds of cows, small villages, and stunning beaches before heading a bit inland. Midway through the morning, we ran into Corinna and a guy she was walking with.
Cue: Joachim. Taking a two month sabbatical from work in his home country, Belgium, Joachim was on the Camino to spend sometime outside away from the hustle and bustle of Antwerp. The oldest in our group, he and I bonded over life in the “real” working world and a shared love for all forms of ice cream—gelato, traditional ice cream, ice cream bars, you name it. Though he was a bit quiet at first, he turned out to be hilarious once we got to know him. He is also one of the most level-headed, kind people I’ve ever met and an avid korfball player (No, I hadn’t heard of korfball either but it’s a cross between netball and basketball, with mixed-gender teams, no dribbling, and a basket with no net). The best at taking pictures of everyone - he became the final member of our friend group, and we wouldn’t have been complete without him.
We continued walking and chatting with Corinna and Joachim until about 18 miles in, when my feet were killing me, and I had to fall back. Luckily, we soon stopped for lunch (tortilla and a pastry—no surprises there) and enjoyed a much-needed break. While resting outside, Gordon walked by and joined us for the final leg. Since we were all staying at the same convent for the night, the six of us headed out together.
We made our way back to the coast as the rain started, so we pulled up our hoods, covered our backpacks, and trudged single file through one of the muddiest sections of the Camino, navigating overgrown plants and wondering the whole time if we were lost.
Once we arrived in town, we reached the convent, where the six of us were shown to a private room in what seemed like an attic with six individual twin beds and our own bathroom—a huge win, especially with no top bunks to climb.
I’m not sure whose idea it was (probably mine), but Erik, Ana, and I decided to go for a swim in the ocean despite the freezing rain, while the others unpacked and showered. It was all fun and games until we came back and discovered all the hot water was gone. So, post-ocean swim, we had to take cold showers. After bundling up as best as we could, we headed to the pilgrim mass, where the nuns were to bless the pilgrims of the evening. Corinna stayed back to make dinner for us (bless her), but maybe we should have, too. Only Erik speaks fluent Spanish, so it took a moment to realize that instead of a pilgrim mass, we were at a local man’s funeral. Picture an old Catholic church filled with grieving locals dressed in black, while we sat in the back in our hiking clothes and sandals... oops.
After the mass ended, everyone rushed out, but Joachim and I stayed for the pilgrim blessing. I ended up reading the English translation while the nuns blessed us by grabbing our heads. This was just one of many bonding experiences Joachim and I would stumble into—entertaining, to say the least.
Later at dinner, we ran into some other familiar faces, including Fritz, who was eager to watch Germany in the first round of the Euros. Soccer doesn’t really excite me but after doing the dishes, I joined everyone at the bar just to hang out. I didn’t last long, though, since I didn’t feel like buying a drink just to stay there. So, Erik and I headed back to the attic and decided to prank everyone by pushing all the beds together to make a “mega bed.” Not everyone found it as funny as we did (maybe it’s an American thing?), but the mega bed became a running joke for the rest of the Camino, so I’d call that a win.
You can see in the video above how quickly we all spread out in our room - backpacks undone, clothes drying from the rain, but its the absolute best.
Laredo - Guemes - 20 miles
Today was an exciting day because we were heading to stay at the beloved “cult” of the Norte, where "Abuelo Ernesto" tells his life story and the story of the Camino, apparently giving off some cult-like vibes. We were all eager to check it out.
Somehow, during breakfast, our group got separated, so it ended up being just Ana, Erik, and me heading off together. We started with about 5 kilometers of beach walking to reach a “ferry,” which would take us across an inlet and save us from walking about 9 extra miles. Fritz ended up on the same ferry, and after crossing, he joined Erik and me for the day. Ana had to find a bank and run another errand, but she promised to catch up with us later.
Since we hadn’t walked with Fritz before, it was great to spend time getting to know him better. The day was absolutely stunning, with plenty of beach walking before we eventually cut up into the countryside. We stopped for a snack break around lunch, where Corinna and Joachim caught up with us. They planned to sit down for a proper meal, so we agreed to meet them later as well.
As we walked through the countryside, we learned more about Fritz—his family, hobbies, future aspirations, life long dreams—the basic "first-day" conversations you have when you're spending 6-8 hours together. Ana eventually rejoined us just before we hit a crossroads with two different routes leading to the "cult." We thought one way was faster, while Fritz believed the other was, so we split up and decided to race to the albergue.
The joke was on Fritz, though, because even though he arrived faster, he got placed in a room full of TikTok-dancing 18-year-old girls. Meanwhile, Erik, Ana, and I ended up in a private cabin with another American guy we’d met earlier who arrived at the same time as us. It felt like our own summer camp bunk room.
The “cult” itself turned out to be on a beautiful property. Turns out there are tourists who will bus in from town to spend the night nd listed to “the story of Abuelo.” It was a mix of pilgrims and non-pilgrims alike wandering around the grounds. Corinna, Gordon, and Joachim arrived later, so our whole group of friends was able to hang out. We spend the afternoon doing laundry, catching up with everyone and stretching out in the big grassy field before heading to dinner.
Dinner was divided between tourists and pilgrims. We sat at a table with a couple of older Camino walkers we hadn’t met before—two best friends from the UK walking for just 10 days and a couple from Idaho who were teachers, hiking the Camino during their summer break. We spent the evening talking and laughing with them before Abuelo shared his story about starting the albergue and traveling the world in his green jeep, photographing it all. The entire dining room was filled with his travel photos, which was fascinating. However, since the story had to be translated into English, I’m not sure we caught everything, but the photos were cool to see.
After dinner, Abuelo announced that he would share the story of the Camino in "the chapel," a unique octagon-shaped building with murals on all the walls. Not as many people attended, but Ana, Joachim, Erik, and I were among those who did. Abuelo talked about how the Camino isn’t just about the physical path you walk but about the people you meet along the way - that “there is no Camino without friendship.” While this might be the "cult" vibe everyone mentions, I believe it - it was cool to hear that while sitting surrounded by my new friends that I already felt like I’d known for a lifetime.
Abuelo also mentioned that there are three places called Guemes in the world—Guemes, Spain; Guemes, Argentina; and Guemes Island in Washington, which happens to be right across from Anacortes in the San Juan Islands, where I’ve spent a lot of time. He said he had visited Guemes, Argentina, but never the one in the US. When I told him I had been there (which somehow got translated into me being from there), he got super excited. He ended up giving me a private tour of his Guemes Island exhibit on the property and even took a picture with me. Maybe one day I’ll end up on his photo wall. I guess I’ll have to go back and see.
With more friends and stories to tell, I realize each post gets longer and longer but to those who have read this far, thanks for listening to my story.